


Fate Touched: The Sunken Tomb

by Cinderpaw1



Series: Fate Touched Threads [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, F/M, Pregnant!Vex, This basically rips the happy ending of Fate Touched to shreds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-08 03:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10377099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinderpaw1/pseuds/Cinderpaw1
Summary: Vex and Percy had found their happy ending- engaged, expecting a child, the future was looking bright.Until the Chroma Conclave came, ripping everything to shreds.Now, deep in the tomb of the Champion of the Raven Queen, it looks like fate has something quite different planned for them.





	1. Blackness

Vex was panting a little, lowering her bow and loosening the string. Her armor was starting to get a little tight around her belly, but she wasn’t going to complain right now. She knew if she did, Percy and Vax would both insist she stay in Whitestone while they went and collected the Vestiges.

And Vex wouldn’t stand for that. 

The beholder that had been guarding the Tomb of the Raven Queen’s champion was in pieces, Zahra panting with the effort she had expended to end the creature. The tiefling stood a little taller, a smile breaking across her face.

Vex let a hand gently rest against her stomach for a moment before she slung the bow over her back, moving to the hole that Kima and Vax had both been dropped down. “Brother? Are you all right?” she called out.

“Yeah!” She could hear Vax’s voice echoing from the bottom of the pit, and heard the sound of him starting to climb his way out.

Vex glanced over her shoulder to see Percy starting to investigate the coffin that was in the center of the room. She felt torn- go make sure Percy would be all right, or make sure her brother could climb out okay.

Her mind was made up when she realized that a fucking Vestige was waiting for them underneath the lid that Percy was starting to move. Besides, Vax was capable enough to get out of a hole on his own.

Vex made her way over to Percy’s side, looking in at the suit of armor on the skeleton inside the coffin. It was black from head to toe, and covered in raven feathers. The smell was horrendous, but it was nothing that Vex hadn’t dealt with before.

“Thinking about how fetching you’ll look in the armor?” Vex teased Percy as they looked at the armor.

“We never said that I’d be taking it.” Percy pointed out, but Vex didn’t miss the want that flashed behind his eyes. “Are you both all right?”

“Peachy.” Vex replied. “I only got grazed by a ray. Everything should be fine.”

Vex started glancing around the top of the inner seal for evidence of a trap, when she saw Percy’s hand reach forwards the armor.

“Percy, wa-“ was all Vex could get out, before a wave of blackness erupted from the armor, hitting her full in the face.

And then, there was nothing. 

***

Percy saw the explosion of black and managed to dive out of the way, his sore body impacting against the hard stone underneath. He groaned a little as he forced himself into a sitting position. A wave of terror washed through him at the sight of Vex on the ground next to him as well. Hitting the ground as hard as he had wasn’t good for her, or for the child.

“Vex?” he asked, getting up as quickly as he could and moving to her side. “Vex, are you all right?”

Nothing. There was no response, and Percy felt the terror morph into a bone chilling sensation, as a terrible thought began to creep up on him.

“Vex?” his voice was more panicked, and he moved to shake her shoulder.

His heart stopped as her head lolled, and Percy could see that her eyes were still open, staring off into nothingness. Her chest wasn’t breathing.

Her heart wasn’t beating.

She was gone.

No. _Nonononono_.

“Vex!” Percy’s voice cracked as he cradled her against him, calling out her name, even though he knew it was pointless.

And Pike wasn’t here.

Pike wasn’t here, and this was his fucking fault. He should have waited, should have checked for traps, but his eagerness to get the vestige had overcome his sensibilities, and his urge to protect the loves of his life.

He could hear Zahra’s gasp of shock, and Keyleth’s cry of horror. He could see, out of the corner of his eye, Vax pulling himself out of the hole he had fallen into.

He just held Vex’s body close, shaking and pressing his face into her hair, trying not to lose it completely in front of everyone else.

Pike wasn’t here, and they were miles away from a town.

He heard Vax running over, and the fact that he could hear the normally stealthy rogue moving was enough of a warning sign.

He didn’t know what to do, but he knew that he wished that he could turn back time, and make sure Vex was nowhere near the damn coffin when he opened it.

He could hear Vax’s voice crack. “What happened?” he demanded, and no one answered him.

Percy couldn’t bring himself to look Vax in the face. He had promised him he would protect Vex, no matter what. He had sworn to him that he wouldn’t let harm befall her or the child. 

Now, Vex was gone, and he was certain their child was as well.

He let a hand drift down to the slight swell of her stomach. It was barely there, but it was enough, and Percy couldn’t feel movement.

He hadn’t been able to, but in the privacy of their tent and tavern rooms, when Percy had let his hand rest against the swell, Vex had promised him the baby had started to move, and that it wouldn’t be long until he could feel it too.

He would give anything to turn back the time and redo everything.

He felt Vax collapse to his knees next to him, hands grasping Vex’s shoulders, and shouting at Kash to do _something_. Anything!

Kash!

Percy let himself look up, looking towards the cleric near the back of the group that was currently surrounding the trio on the floor of the tomb. Would his dark goddess even allow for a rebirth?

“Please.” Percy heard himself beg, voice cracking and rawer than he had ever let any of the others see him before. This was a rawness that he had only ever shown around Vex, in their intimate moments, and even then, it was rare for him to get to quite this point.

But without Vex? 

What else did he have?

Kash looked between Percy and Vax, before sighing heavily and muttering to himself, before reaching into his pouch on his side and pulling out the diamonds necessary for the spell. “This might bring Vesh’s attention, and we don’t want that. That would spell out the end of the world.”

“Just do it!” Vax and Percy shouted simultaneously, their voices echoing throughout the chamber.

Kash knelt next to them as well, and began the ritual. His voice lifted in a chant, his eyes closing as he began the ritual. The scars along his arm lit up a bright red, and when he opened his eyes again, they were pitch black.

Percy swallowed softly, brushing the hair away from her cheek. He started to speak, soft and low against her hair.

“Vex… I need you back.” He whispered. “You make me a better person, you make this entire group here better people. We need you here, watching our backs from afar.” He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a piece of Whitestone residuum, placing it gently on her stomach, hoping beyond anything that it would amplify the magic enough to bring back the second life that had sparked inside of her too.

“I love you, Vex, and we promised. We promised that we would settle down in Whitestone together, make a life for ourselves and our found family and the family we just started. Whitestone will always be there to offer you a home. I’ll always be there to offer you a home. But I don’t know what I’d do without you. Just… please, Vex. Come back to me.” Percy tucked his face back against her hair, hiding the tears that were pricking at the corners of his eyes from the rest.

He could barely hear Zahra’s words, her contribution, and had to let go as Vex’s body began to pull away from him, levitating with the force of the magic pouring from Kash, eyes pitch black and grimacing slightly as he fought…something, in his mind.

Percy felt a shiver course through him, and he turned his head to see a blurred figure, watching the ritual, the proceedings. He watched as Vax knelt, looking at the humanoid form with such loathing and desperation in his eyes, that Percy was quite sure that if this didn’t work, if Vex wasn’t returned to them, he and Vax would make it their goal to hunt this goddess down to get Vex back.

“Take me instead, you Raven bitch!” Vax spat, the rage coursing through him the exact opposite to the wracking grief currently flowing through Percy’s body.

The figure disappeared, and as Vex’s body jerked a little with a flash of light, Percy swore he could hear a whisper in the back of his mind.

“ _Only one._ ” A soft female voice echoed through his mind, and Vex’s body returned to the floor, gently lowered as the magic faded.

Everyone stared, waiting with bated breath, before Vex inhaled sharply and her eyes refocused, glancing around at everyone.

“What happened? Why am I on the floor?” Vex asked, and Percy and Vax both wrapped their arms around her in joyous relief.

“You went unconscious.” Vax murmured. “We need to get you checked out, we need to see if the child is all right.”

Percy swallowed hard. Despite the joy he felt that Vex had returned to them, in the bottom of his heart, he knew. 

He knew that the child was gone.

“You fucking died.” Grog broke the silence, and Vax glared at him, before his gaze turned on Percy.

Percy didn’t need to look to know that the look Vax was giving him was one of pure hatred and anger, and Percy didn’t blame him for it.

The look on Vax’s face just proved that the self hatred that had blossomed in his own chest was justified.

He had killed Vex, had killed their child, and there was nothing he could do to make that right.


	2. Repercussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I was stupid.” Percy replied. “I didn’t think. And I can’t even express to you how guilty I feel.”

It felt like everything was spinning, Vax and Zahra helping Vex to get out of the tomb. The armor had been collected, stuffed into the Bag of Holding, and Vex felt sick to her stomach.

Something was wrong.

“Pike…” Vex whispered, her entire lower body cramping and just feeling wrong. She felt exhausted and weak, and she was in pain.

“We’ll get you to her, don’t worry.” Vax murmured. “She’s going to check you out, make sure you’re both okay, it’s all right…”

Vex swallowed hard and glanced over her shoulder. Percy was trailing behind, his entire face whiter than his hair. She didn’t think it was possible, but it apparently right.

“Percy…” she whispered softly, and he moved to take Zahra’s place in supporting her, but Vex didn’t miss the way that Vax looked at Percy. 

The murderous glare just added to the pit in her stomach, but she didn’t have the strength to argue as the two of them carried her out of the tomb.

***

Pike was at the temple of Sarenrae when the group brought Vex to her. She dropped what she was doing immediately, rushing to Vex’s side. Her hand glowed slightly as she ran it over Vex’s abdomen, and when her face fell, it only confirmed what Vex already suspected.

“No…” she whispered, letting out a sob that wracked through her entire body.

Pike swallowed hard. “Come on, the next few hours aren’t going to be fun. Let’s get you comfortable.” She murmured.

Tears were streaming down Vex’s face as she was taken to a bed and her armor removed, the cramps and pain growing worse and worse. 

When they removed her underclothes, Vex saw that they were stained with blood.

***

Vax and Percy watched as Vex was taken into the room, the door closed behind Pike to give Vex privacy while her body worked to naturally remove the no longer living tissue.

Vax leaned against the wall, silent as tears streamed down his face, and Percy felt numb to his core.

This was his fault.

This was all his fault.

How could he have been so _stupid_?

He heard the sobs through the door, and Pike’s gentle voice murmuring comfort, but each sob coming from Vex was just twisting the knife lodged in his heart.

“…why didn’t you check for traps?” Vax asked after long moments of silence, broken only with Vex’s sobs and groans of pain through the door.

“I was stupid.” Percy replied. “I didn’t think. And I can’t even express to you how guilty I feel.”

“You should.” Vax replied, and Percy could see the anger bubbling up in him. He didn’t blame Vax, if he hadn’t still been reeling and numb from the entire string of events, he would have been livid at himself too.

“I know.” Percy whispered. “And I wish it would have been me.” If it had been him, he could have been saved, maybe. But then Vex and the child would still be alive. And even if he couldn’t have come back, thanks to Orthax, at least Vex would have had the child still.

But like this? This was the worst nightmare he could ever imagine, and he was certain that when he did eventually die, that this moment would be part of the torture.

“It should have been you.” Vax agreed, and once again, Percy didn’t blame Vax for thinking so. “This is… I don’t even have the words. She shouldn’t have been with us at all, for fucks sake, we knew she was with child.”

“We couldn’t have stopped her from coming even if we wanted to.” Percy whispered back. “…we always knew this might have happened, during any fight in the fie-“

Percy couldn’t finish his sentence before Vax darted forwards, decking him squarely in the jaw. Percy just took the punch, knowing he would have a bruise there later.

He deserved it.

He felt the iron taste of blood welling up in his mouth, and when he looked back up, a particularly anguished cry echoing from the room, Vax was gone.


	3. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s this?” Vex asked softly, looking at the craftsmanship. It was beautiful, and she bet that Percy had worked on this instead of sleeping.
> 
> “A night of unbridled guilt.” Percy replied softly.

Vex was exhausted when all was said and done. Pike made sure she was cleaned up and made sure that she had absorbent cloth to continue taking care of the blood that would linger for a while afterwards, similar to when she had her moon time. 

She slept the entire next day, just needing to rest and recover and not wanting to wake up, if she was honest with herself. Everything still hurt, body and heart alike.

Her door opened, and Vex opened her eyes, expecting to see Pike with a bowl of soup. 

But it was Percy. The bags underneath his eyes were dark, and he looked gaunt and worn. He also looked like he probably hadn’t slept in a while.

He came over and sat on the edge of the bed, setting an arrow next to her.

“What’s this?” Vex asked softly, looking at the craftsmanship. It was beautiful, and she bet that Percy had worked on this instead of sleeping.

“A night of unbridled guilt.” Percy replied softly. “It’s a siege arrow. Theoretically, it will embed inside of stone or wood and then explode.” He reached over, taking Vex’s hand in his and squeezing it gently.

Vex set the arrow gingerly to the side, squeezing his hand in return. “You didn’t have to.” She murmured.

“I had to throw myself into something.” Percy murmured back. “Otherwise…” he sighed heavily.

“Yeah…” Vex murmured, gently coaxing him to join her in the bed. He was still covered in soot and gunpowder, but she couldn’t care less right now.

Percy laid down before wrapping her up in his arms, pressing his face against her hair. “…how are you?” he asked softly.

“…I don’t know.” She replied honestly. “Hurting, in lots of ways.”

Percy nodded, and swallowed hard, but didn’t say anything.

“…I don’t blame you.” She told him, after a long while of silence. “I shouldn’t have even been there. I shouldn’t have. I insisted, and we paid the price for my stubbornness.”

Percy let out a low, self-depreciating chuckle, and Vex just gave him a frown.

“Vex, I didn’t even think to check for traps. I reached, and I triggered it, and I killed you both. Nothing you ever say will change that.” He whispered.

Vex pressed her forehead against his. “I’m here.” She murmured. “You all brought me back. And I think we will both grieve for the child that was lost, but we can always try again. After the dragons are gone, once we can settle down and stop fighting and worrying for our lives every day. We can try for another.”

Percy let out a long breath. “I can’t help thinking of what that child would have become.” He admitted, so soft into her hair that she could barely hear him. “And how much I’ve stolen from the world because of it.”

Vex pressed a light kiss to Percy’s cheek. “I miss them too.” She whispered. “But we’ll recover from this. We’ll have a beautiful wedding, and settle down in the Castle, and have a bright little family.” She gently wrapped her arm around her lover, squeezing gently. 

Percy just sighed heavily. “I’m sorry.” He murmured.

“I’m sorry too.” Vex admitted softly. “But we’ll get through this, together. Like we always have, yeah?”

Percy swallowed and nodded. “Yes. Yes, we will.” He agreed softly.

Vex smiled at him. “That’s the Percival I like hearing. Now, get some rest. We both need it.”

The couple curled up together, though neither of them slept for a long while. Their thoughts were filled with the loss of their child, and when sleep claimed them both, their dreams were filled with the image of a little girl with dark brown hair, with bright blue eyes and slightly pointed ears.

She smiled at both of them, waving as she disappeared into a bright light, mouthing the words “I love you”

Vex woke up the next morning with tears on her cheeks, and noticed that Percy was in a similar state.

She didn’t say anything, just pressed her face into his chest and breathed in and out.

They would forgive themselves someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm ending this here for now, I hope you guys enjoyed this little angsty bit <3
> 
> This idea has been floating in my head since I was halfway through writing Fate Touched. This child was never meant to survive, if that makes it a little easier.
> 
> There may be more bits in the future for this verse, I make no promises but keep your eyes open :)
> 
> <3 Cinder

**Author's Note:**

> You guys can blame dancer4813 for this. Just by the way.


End file.
